My Favorite Sunscreens!
With summer now in full swing it's time to talk sunscreen! This is a topic that so many people are either uneducated on or just seem to oppose. Depending on the generation you grew up in there are different ways to look at sunscreens. There are the baby boomers who if I had a dime every time they told me that "back in the day we just used crisco oil" I would be insanely rich. Yes, we get it, you didn't grow up with sunscreen so you're unaware of the increasing need for it. Then there are the millennials who at a much higher risk for sun related damage and cancers yet the information out there is so confusing that we are constantly breaking out from SPF or still getting burned. So let's get one thing straight, whether you burn or tan - YOU NEED SUNSCREEN. The US is the second country in the world to have the highest rate of skin cancers, second only to parts of Australia who have anti - sun ads the way we have anti - smoking ads. Take that in for a second, remember when everyone though smoking was fine and then they turned out to be incredibly wrong. That's the same thing that is happening with lack of sun protection. So that being said not all sunscreens are created equally. Here is the run down on what to do and how to make the most of your summer without risking your health.
Going Makeup Free
During my consultations I ask many health related questions in order to determine what may be the underlining issues of my client’s skin. The most important question I ask is always: “What is your ultimate goal with your skin?”. The reason this is the most valuable question is because at the end of the day you are the person who lives with your skin and your goals are important for me to know so I can help get you to where you want to be. I would say that the most common goal that my clients confess to me is that they want to be makeup free. This is a common goal because makeup free means no flaws right? Wrong, makeup free is actually about confidence and embracing yourself just the way you are. Here is how to get makeup free and shift your mindset on what this means.
How to let love win...
I could write about skincare all day. It is a subject you all know by now that I’m an endless pit of knowledge on. Today however I have nothing to say on the matter because of the senseless acts of violence committed in Orlando this weekend. As an LGBTQ supporter I have been numbed by the pain this tragedy has inflicted on myself and the world. Whether it is a question of terrorism or a hate crime isn’t the point to me, the point is that hate is trying to take over the countless amounts of us who choose to let love win. In these times of confusing grief it can feel really easy to be angry, saddened and feel so many emotions that we feel uncomfortable with. Many of us will suppress this and go about our lives, many others will lend support in whichever way they can and some of us will just be confused as to what the next move should be. My heart was one of the confused hearts. That is until I watched a social media video on how we can let love win. Here is what happens when you let love win…
10 years ago today...
Today is my 10 year esthetician anniversary. Time certainly flies by and I couldn't be more grateful. Following the less popular path at 18 years old was really difficult but I remember having the strength to quiet the mean voices in my head that this wasn't going to work out. I learned to follow my gut in that very moment. Choosing this path has changed me in many ways. With each success and mistake, I would do it all over again for the magnificent lessons and people it has introduced me too. This includes all of you. Believe it or not I learn from all of you each time we meet. Whether it is a piece health information that you learned about or just a fact of life, I have spent the last 10 years developing the best education because of that. Here are some of the best lessons I have learned from my time as a skin coach:
Your intuition and your skincare
We all have an intuitive voice in our head that guides us through our everyday tasks. Whether we are choosing what to wear in the morning, what to eat for lunch or what you want to watch on netflix, those decisions come from a “feeling”. Whether you are directed by this “feeling” or are mindlessly choosing the same things repetitively, your intuition plays a big role in every aspect of your life. When choosing your skincare, the same intuitive process can make the world of a difference towards your skin’s health. Let me walk you through the process of letting your instincts pick your skincare and how it will benefit you.
Adaptogens: The Missing Link To Your Skin Health
About two years ago I was introduced to the idea of adding supplemental support to my every day routine. I was always the girl who would buy a multi vitamin and take two before I gave up on it all. I never felt different or experienced positive results. The multi vitamins would make me sick to my stomach and the whole concept turned me off. I felt like I was getting enough nutrients from food and didn’t think much else about it. After I started diving into the world of green skincare products I quickly began to realize the efficacy of these products are only a reflection of the internal work you put in as well. That’s how my whole view on my practice and caring for skin changed. I have been able to maintain a healthy diet for the majority of my adulthood by slowly educating myself on the nourishment of each ingredient. What always struck me was that the consistency in my diet had to be 100% or else I would suffer. From digestion issues, to hormonal flares to the dreaded breakouts, if I wasn’t “perfect” I would soon regret it. Now this isn’t a life that is sustainable for me. I needed support and I needed to know that a life of suffering was not the only answer. That is when Adaptogens were introduced to me and my fears started to melt away.About two years ago I was introduced to the idea of adding supplemental support to my every day routine. I was always the girl who would buy a multi vitamin and take two before I gave up on it all. I never felt different or experienced positive results. The multi vitamins would make me sick to my stomach and the whole concept turned me off. I felt like I was getting enough nutrients from food and didn’t think much else about it. After I started diving into the world of green skincare products I quickly began to realize the efficacy of these products are only a reflection of the internal work you put in as well. That’s how my whole view on my practice and caring for skin changed. I have been able to maintain a healthy diet for the majority of my adulthood by slowly educating myself on the nourishment of each ingredient. What always struck me was that the consistency in my diet had to be 100% or else I would suffer. From digestion issues, to hormonal flares to the dreaded breakouts, if I wasn’t “perfect” I would soon regret it. Now this isn’t a life that is sustainable for me. I needed support and I needed to know that a life of suffering was not the only answer. That is when Adaptogens were introduced to me and my fears started to melt away.
Why are you sensitive?
Often times we are incorrectly led to believe that our skin conditions are our skin types. Our skin type is our predisposed skin that we were born with. Typically your family members will have similar types whether everyone runs on the oily side or dry side. Skin conditions are acquired over time and can go in and out of our lives. Some examples are eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne and anything else that can be triggered by your environment, hormones, nutrition or stress. The main problem is when the type and condition are polar opposites leading you to not know which products to reach for. Today I am going to talk about sensitive skin types and sensitive skin conditions. When you are dealing with these, you do have to treat your skin in a counterintuitive way. Let me break it down to answer why are you sensitive?
Time Management and Self Care
Over the last few weeks I have had family visiting so I apologize for the delay in my newsletters. Time management is always a bit of a challenge for most, including myself. This can lead to frustrations and anxiety regardless of the seriousness of a task. Most of the time we feel like we are running out of time and don’t seem to have the mindfulness to achieve our daily goals. The glorification of busy is so overdone in our culture so what tends to happen is self care goes out the window. How can you feel productive without the anxiety of procrastination or being overwhelmed by too many tasks? It’s simple and here is my guide to managing the “busy” stress so you don’t let your self care go.
Roots: Why where you are from matters to your skin
If you know me you know that I moved around a lot as a kid. Both my parents worked in different cities and about every 2-3 years we would pick up and move according to their work. The biggest move was from New Brunswick, Canada to Wisconsin, USA when I was 10 years old. Shortly after the big, across the border move I started experiencing advanced puberty symptoms that I later became to understand was triggered due to stress and trauma from the environmental change.
How to layer your skincare
In the business of beauty there are many types of consumers. Are you the type of consumer who will buy a skincare product because you love the scent, texture or the promise of what it can do for you whether you have need it or not? I know many people who simply love products! The problem is at the end of the day they may have too many options and don’t know how to implement it properly into their routine. Just because you have a ton of products doesn’t mean your skin needs or wants it. What I want to talk about today is not only how to come up with a functioning routine but also how to be able to layer the products you want for maximum results. Layering skincare can be the key to success or the demise of your healthy skin. Here is your how to guide to customizing your regimen and how to layer.
Common Skin Misconceptions!
There are several misconceptions that we are taught to think about our skin throughout our lives. I have spent the last 10 years of my life having to re-teach my clientele about these misconceptions as I was one of the millions of young women who fell prey to them. I grew up genuinely believing that I wasn’t good enough because I didn’t match the unrealistic standards of society on women. My skin wasn’t clear therefore I wasn’t good enough. Sounds so shallow and self hating to think that I would compare my worth to a health imbalance but it was very real to me at the time. I still work on shedding off what the many articles I read in Cosmo, Glamour and any other mainstream magazines that created the impossible guide to being perfect. So today let me help break down the common skin misconceptions that we are still encountering today so hopefully your self worth will be uplifted and not challenged anymore.
Why I work from home
This weekend I attended a fantastic workshop at Wanderlust Hollywood hosted by the lovely Lauren Singer from Trash is for Tossers. One of my personal resolutions this year was to decrease my waste and continue to educate myself on how to help protect our mother earth. Having the opportunity to meet Lauren and learn some of her go-to recipes for zero waste home care products reminded me of why I decided to leave the spa world: IT’S INCREDIBLY WASTEFUL! Here are some of the main reasons why working from home is a small way to make a big impact:
Toners 101: Your go-to guide to this powerhouse skincare step!
A skincare routine can be really tricky to orchestrate without direction. To create a custom regimen it’s important to consider all of the steps offered in the multi-billion dollar industry that is also known as the beauty industry. There’s the obvious, sometimes confusing, often forgotten, and the overused steps. Today I’m going to talk about the often forgotten and sometimes confusing step of toning. I never truly understood why this step would even be left out because it is incredibly easy and sets your skin up for success. That’s when I realized that there is little to no education out there on the why and how of toning. Here is an easy breakdown of this skin changing step you will soon not be able to live without.
My Self Care Practices
Many people ask me what I do with my skincare routine. They literally want to know everything I use and assume that a few skincare products is all it takes to accomplish great skin. This is simply not the case. A lot of the work comes from a lot of self care. Self care is so different for everyone too. That’s the most beautiful part about it all. The tools I’ve developed in order to fill my cup are catered to my health and wellness. Here is some insight into my self care practices and the people who help keep me accountable for my well being.